Focus on a positive behavior change. Ex. I will go to the gym 3x per week vs. I want to lose 10lbs this year.

Having a positive attitude and realistic goals for the New Year is a great first step. There is no time better than the present to take a new approach or start living a healthy lifestyle! But on the other hand many people wait until the end of December to dream up an unrealistic resolution, only to get frustrated and give up by the third week in January. This is not the way to start out the New Year.

This year I challenge you to take a new approach. Make your New Year’s resolution focus on you, your family and your whole health. Start by thinking of what you want to accomplish in 2013. It could be more time with the family, less stress or being more active. All of these are wonderful goals that will help you live a healthier more balanced life. When you take the time to invest in your well-being your whole family will reap the benefits. This year toss the scale and crash diets out the window and instead pledge to live an active more healthy life every single day!

Michelle Rowe was born and raised in Toledo, OH. She attended Mercy College of Nursing where she received her Nursing degree. Passionate about healthy living, she currently works for Mercy as a Health Educator and Registered Nurse. You can find her monthly column “Always Healthy Mom” in The Toledo Area Parent Magazine and regularly on 13 abc Ask The Expert. As a wife and mother of three, she strives to inspire a healthy lifestyle with helpful tips and tricks for families and moms on the go. Passionate about eradicating childhood obesity, Rowe has been a community advocate for women’s health and the health of children in Northwest Ohio.

Her website www.alwayshealthymom.com offers advice on everything you need to know about living, shopping and eating toward a healthy lifestyle.